Application of metal leaf



Nov. 1, 1960 wENlG 2,958,149

APPLICATION OF METAL LEAF Filed Jan. 9, 1959 INVENTOR Max 14 5 /v /6 WW; W

ATTORNEYS 2,958,149 APPLICATION OF METAL LEAF Max Wenig, 3475 Boston Road, Bronx, N. assignor of twenty-five percent to Herman Gorelick, twenty-five percent to Ira Schneider, and twenty-five percent to Robert Klein Filed Jan. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 785,838

12 Claims. (Cl. 41-37) The present invention relates to the application of metal leafing to a surface.

Various sizing compositions for applying metal leafing to glass and other surfaces have been proposed in the past. These sizings all have disadvantages. Frequently they will not give complete coverage on contact with the glass. Others require repeated coatings to get complete coverage. Still others require absolutely clean surfaces. Furthermore the sizings in use today generally must be applied immediately before use.

It is an object of the present invention to devise a sizing for metal leafing which gives complete coverage upon contact with glass or other surface.

Another object is to devise a sizing which can be ap plied to the glass or other surface a considerable time before the application of the metal leafing.

An additional object is to devise a sizing for metal leafing which can be readily applied even if the surface is not absolutely clean.

A further object is to prepare an for adhering any metal leafing.

Still further objects and the entire scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

It has now been found that these objects can be attained by utilizing a sizing comprising a polymerized alkyl methacrylate, preferably polymerized butyl methacrylate.

The invention will best be understood in connection with the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a decorative article made according to the invention;

Figures 2, 3, and 4 show different stages in the preparation of the decorative article of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a vertical section of the finished article.

The polymerized alkyl methacrylate, preferably polymerized butyl methacrylate, employed as the sizing is dissolved in a solvent, e.g. a hydrocarbon, ester or ketone and there is then added a plasticizer for the polymerized alkyl methacrylate.

The preferred composition is made by mixing 1 1b. of polymerized butyl methacrylate with 3 lbs. of benzene. To each gallon of this mixture there is added 600 cc. of dibutyl phthalate. Desirably the formulation is then cut with aromatic naphtha to increase the volume times, e.g. suflicient naphtha is added to 1 gallon of the formulation to give 10 gallons of final product.

The sizing composition acts as a stable adhesive for metal leafing on glass, metal, wood, plastic, stone, ceramic, porcelain and other glazed surfaces, or painted surfaces. The surface can be either rough or smooth but should be hard and substantially non porous. If

all purpose sizing 2,958,149 Patented Nov. 1, 1960 "ice Wood or plaster is used it should be filled or otherwise rendered non porous or non absorbent prior to applying the sizing composition.

As the metal leafing there can be employed, gold, copper, silver, aluminum, pewter or other metal leafing. Preferably gold leafing is employed.

The sizing composition can be applied by a brush or roller or by spraying procedure. The excess sizing can be wiped off. The sizing of the present invention is an all purpose sizing which will adhere the metal leafing to the surface. The sizing after application to the substrate dries to the touch in 5 minutes. Immediately thereafter it is ready for application of the metal leafing and remains workable for several days or a week or even longer. In fact it is permanently suitable for use with the metal leafing provided that there is no dust. The sizing on the substrate is not affected by atmospheric conditions, is colorless and is close bonding. In fact there is no visible indication that there is anything between the glass or other substrate and the metal leafing. The sizing also is harder than any commercial sizing which is readily available.

While the surface to which the sizing is applied should be reasonably clean it does not have to be absolutely clean. The sizing also gives complete coverage of the glass on contact and hence one coating is sufficient. The metal leafing is pressed onto the glass or other surface in conventional manner. The leafing adheres to the portions of the glass which have sizing thereon and is removed from the remainder of the glass with the aid of a brush,

Referring more specifically to the drawings there is provided a glass plate 2. There is then applied to the glass the sizing composition 4, e.g. the preferred sizing composition comprising polymerized butyl methacrylate, benzene and dibutyl phthalate diluted with aromatic naphtha described above, to form any desired configuration such as bird 6 shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. The design can be carried further to include the portion of the tree 8. As soon as the sizing has dried gold leafing 10 is pressed over the coated glass. The gold leafing will adhere to the portion of the glass containing the sizing. The gold leafing is then brushed away from the areas of the glass not containing the sizing to give the final design 12 as shown in Figure 1.

What is claimed:

1. A decorative laminate comprising a non porous surface having a coating of a polymerized butyl methacrylate and a metal leafing covering said coating.

2. A decorative article according to claim 1 wherein the metal leafing is gold leafing.

3. A decorative article according to claim 2 wherein the non porous surface is a glass surface.

4. A decorative laminate comprising a non porous glass surface having a coating of a mixture of a polymerized butyl methacrylate and a plasticizer therefor and a metal leafing covering said coating.

5. A decorative article according to claim 4 wherein the plasticizer is dibutyl phthalate and the metal leafing is gold leafing.

6. A process of applying metal leafing to a non porous surface comprising first applying to said surface a polymerized butyl methacrylate in a volatile solvent, allowing the solvent to dry, then applying the metal leafing over said polymerized butyl methacrylate and thereafter Wiping off excess leafing by means of brushing.

7. A process of applying a metal leafing to a non porous surface comprising first applying to said surface a mixture of a polymerized butyl methacrylate and a plasticizer therefor in a volatile solvent, allowing the solvent to dry, then applying the metal leafing over said polymerized butyl methacrylate and thereafter wiping off excess leafing by means of brushing.

8. A process according to claim 7 in which the plasticizer is dibutyl phthalate and the non porous surface is a glass surface. 7

9. A process of applying a metal leafing to a non porous comprising first applying to said surface a compo sition made by adding 600 cc. of dibutyl phthalate to a mixture of 1 lb. of polymerized butyl methacrylate and 3 lbs. of benzene and then cutting the benzene solution with aromatic naphtha to one tenth its volume, allowing the benzene and aromatic naphtha to dry, then applying the metal leafing and thereafter Wiping ofi excess leafing by means of brushing. V

10. A process according to claim 7 wherein the metal leafing is gold leafing.

11. A process for decorating an article having a non porous surface on which there is a dry polymerized butyl methacrylate coating which includes applying a metal leafing onto said surface and thereafter wiping off excess leafing by means of brushing.

12. A process according to claim 11 wherein the non porous surface is a glass surface and the metal leafing is gold leafing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 2,095,879 Kittredge et al. Oct. 12, 1937 2,586,394 Stepien Feb. 19, 1952 2,599,359 Banks et al. June 3, 1952 OTHER REFERENCES Del Monte: The Technology of Adhesive, pub. 1947. by Reinhold, pp. 142 to-153, page 145 in particular. 

1. A DECORATIVE LAMINATE COMPRISING A NON POROUS SURFACE HAVING A COATING OF A POLYMERIZED BUTYL METHACRYLATE AND A METAL LEAFING COVERING SAID COATING. 